LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt appointed 18 people to the "Great Commission Resurgence Task Force" June 24 during the morning session of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Louisville, Ky.

Messengers to the annual meeting voted the evening before to authorize Hunt's naming the task force to study how Southern Baptists can work "more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission."

"I trust you will be encouraged by the balance that will be representing Southern Baptists in their assignment," Hunt said before he read the list of names.

Appointed to the committee were:

-- Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Springdale, Ark., chairman.

-- Ken Whitten, pastor of the Tampa-area Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

-- Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.

"We promise to represent you well,” Hunt said, “and you pray for us that God would use us to be an impetus that can help us to even do a better job of what we've been doing in the area of the Great Commission.”

Hunt told Baptist Press he would "lead the task force, giving them direction, as I promised the convention," but that Floyd would chair the group in its deliberations.--30--Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Mark Kelly and staff writer Erin Roach.